The ICF describes the skill of Powerful Questioning as the ability to ask questions that reveal the information needed for maximum benefit to the coaching relationship and the student.

This is what the teacher needs to pay attention to when coaching

Ask questions that reflect your active listening and an understanding of the student’s perspective. Actually, paying attention to what the student is saying will automatically give you what you need to ask powerful questions.

Ask questions that evoke discovery, insight, commitment or action (e.g., those questions that challenge the student’s assumptions). You will notice that these questions go downwards into what's important to the student, and forwards into the future that the student is creating. They don't go backwards into history or explanations.

Ask open-ended questions that create greater clarity, possibility or new learning. Questions such as "What .." will be the most frequent, "Who ... " is useful, "How ... " is good for looking at strategies, "When ... " is great for planning. "Why ..." is seldom useful.

Ask questions that move the student towards what they desire, not questions that ask them to justify previous actions or look backwards. Yes indeed!